Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1887-01-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our regular correSpondentl
WASHINGTON, Jan. IS, 1SS'

w Julls lCi 1901
The passage of the great Inter State
Commerce bill, which is the result of d
popular movement beginning twenty
years ago. marks the past week in Con-
greSs. There was a good deal OF i'm
portant legislation besides this, howeY-
er, such as that giving the Agricultural
Department Executive Importance and
its chief a seat in the Cabinet that Elk.
tirpating the hierarchy at Salt Lake
City, and that doubling the militia ap-
preparation for the year. This last act
will doubtless be we'll received every
where for the time has come when it
is acknowledged that the citizen SOL
diery of the land ought to receive mole
attention than has even yet been shown
them
1t was expected that the Senate
would settle the yeNed question or
Commerce by Railroads rs it did, about
the hour of midnight on Friday, but no
one knew how many m0reSenatOrs would
be found supporting than opposing the
bill. 1t came triumphantly through by
a vote of forty-three to fifteen although
a number of Senators who voted for the
measure were dissatisfied with it. These
decided to set aside their own views
and follow the dictates of their cOnStit-
uents, saying in tGiS instance, where
legislation is necessarily experimental
it is safe to give the people the benefit
of the doubt.
The Interstate Comerce bill was
framed and pressed forward by men
who were mostly honest IN their effort
20 relieve the people, but there are a
good many legislators who doubt its
efficacy Some gay the railroads will
put up their through freIghts instead Of
reducing their way freights, and thus
insure the equality which the law de-
mands.
Now that the nti-MOrmOn bill has
been passed by the House, one hears a
good many comments which indicate
an appreciation of the severity OF the
measure. 1t not only makes pOlyg%my
a felony, but dissOlveS the financial cor
pOratiOnS known as the Latter Day
Saints, and the Perpetual Emigration
Fund Company, and practically abOl-
ishes all the machinery, religious or
political, that is now employed direct
ly or indirectly in the maintenance OF
the Mormon Church system. There arc
differences of opinion as to the wisdom
and justice of the policy but the friends
OF the measure just passed assume that
the malady is of such terrible nature
as to require heroic treatment. It's Op-
ponents say it would be better to wait
upon the slow attractions Of time and
the pressure Of public opinion TO wear
the evil out.
The Republicans pledged themselves
to eradicate polygamy in 1856, more
than thirty years ago. They held pow
er for nearly quarter Of Il century and
as MOrmOnjSm still fiOuriSheS it IS left
for the Democrats to perform duty
which the Republicans neglected or
else could not do. OF course everybody
desires that the twin relic Of barbar-
ism" shall be destroyed, if it can be
done without straining the COnstitu-
ton. Hon. Randolph Tucker, of va.
who reported the Anti-M Mormon bill,
held that there was nothing in it that
could hurt the conscience even of a
Mormon. If he thought there was, he
said he would vote against it.
The State reception at the White
House on Thursday evening was g0r-
geous in the gold lace of the guests Of
hunor, the Diplomatic Corps, with mu-
sic, gaslight, flowers and plans On ey-
cry side, crush of richly costumed
women and crowd Of famous men,
many Of them in brilliant uniforms.
Besides the official world of the Capital.
about sixty persons in private life we're
invited to the reception. Among these
was noticed Mrs. Frank Leslie, and it
was difficult TO decide whether size or
Mrs. Stanford, the wife Of the Senator
from California wore the largest or the
finest or the greatest number Of dia
monds.